Approaching the hill overlooking Hagrid's hut, we see Draco and his goons messing around, obviously happy about how this situation is turning out.
"Draco, go back to your dorm please. I can smell your Ferret stench from all the way over here," I call, hoping for them to go away.
"Oh, come to see the show have you?" he laughs, and that's the final straw for Hermione.
"You-" she growls, marching up to him, "you fowl, loathsome, evil-little-cockroach!" she yells, drawing her wand and pointing it at his neck.
"Hermione, don't!" Ron yells, "leave him, he isn't worth it."
Hermione contemplates this, and after a few seconds she puts her wand away, causing Draco and his friends to laugh as she begins to walk away and-
CRACK
Draco's reeling from Hermione's punch to his nose. Crabbe picks him up and runs away, Goyle following behind.
"That. Was. Amazing." I breathe out, a broad smile on my face, reflecting Hermione's.
"That felt good," Hermione says.
"Not good, brilliant!" Ron responds.
I scoff. "Says the one who told her to leave it not even thirty seconds ago."
*~*
"Hagrid? You home?" Hermione asks as she knocks on the door of Hagrid's hut.
"He might be worried about us getting in trouble," I whisper.
"Hagrid, it's us," Harry says, again knocking on his door. "We're wearing the Invisibility cloak. Let us in and we'll take it off."
The door swings open, and the four of us rush in and shred the cloak once it swings shut.
"Yeh shouldn't have come!" Hagrid exclaims.
"And let you go through this alone? It's not what friends do Hagrid," I smirk and sit down on his couch, Fang jumping up beside me.
Hagrid isn't crying, but at the same time, he's not the cheery giant we're used to either. His face is blank, like he's lost in an ocean of emotions, and it breaks my heart more than his crying does.
"Want some tea?" he asks us, his hands trembling as he gets out the kettle and cups.
"Where's Buckbeak, Hagrid?" Hermione asks hesitantly.
"I took him outside," he responds, spilling milk all over the table as he fills up a jug. "He's tethered in me pumpkin patch. Thought he oughta see the trees an'-an' smell fresh air before-" he's interrupted by the jug slipping from his hands because of how violently they were trembling.
"I'll do it Hagrid," Ron says quickly, not wasting a second to clean up the mess.
"There's another one in the cupboard," he says as he sits at the table, wiping his forehead with his sleeve, and I get up to the cupboard to get it.
"Isn't there anything anyone can do? Dumbledore-" Harry starts, but Hagrid cuts him off.
"He's tried," he responds. "He's got no power ter overrule the Committee. He told 'em Buckbeak's alright, but they're scared...yeh know what Lycius Malfoy's like...threatened 'em I expect...an' the executioner Macnair, he's an old pal o' Malfoy's...but it'll be quick an' clean...an' I'll be beside him..." Hagrid swallows. "Dumbledore's gonna come down herewhile it happens.Wrote me this mornin'. Said he wants ter-ter be with me. Great man, Dumbledore."
Great as long as whatever he's doing is benefitting him in some sort, I think, and looking at Harry, he has a similar look in his eyes as I do. If only he knew the extent of trouble he's caused our family...
Hermione stifled a sob, moving over to Hagrid and putting a hand on his shoulder. "We'll stay with you too, Hagrid-"
"Yeh're to go back to the castle. I told yeh, I don't wan' yeh watchin'. An' yeh shouldn' be down here anyway...if Fudge an' Dumbledore catch yeh out here without permission, Harry, yeh'll be in big trouble-'specially you, 'Mara."
Tears are streaking down everyone's face at this point, both silent and aloud.
Hagrid begins to get up to move to the cupboard, and takes something out.
Are you bloody kidding me-
"Scabbers!" Ron exclaims.
"Yeh better take better care of yer pets..found him out in the patch." Hagrid says pointedly at Ron as he hands him over.
"I think you owe someone an apology," Hermione says, looking at Ron.
"Right," he says, "when I see Crookshanks, I'll let him know."
"To me!" Hermione responds, standing up.
"Yeh gotta go," Hagrid says quickly, looking out the window, beginning to violently tremble again. "They mustn't find yeh here...go on, now..." he opens the back door and ushers us out as Dumbledore, Fudge, and the executioner-Macnair arrive at the front door.
"Please, let's hurry," Hermione whispers. "I can't stand it, I can't bear it.."
We hurry back up to the castle, the sun falling further and further down, the moon threatening to come up soon.
And the wolf preparing to tear itself out of Pop and OJ,
Ron stops dead right before we're back to the top of the hill.
"Oh please," Hermione says, looking back at him.
"It's Scabbers-he won't-stay put-" Ron says, bent over as he's trying to keep Scabbers in his pocket, but Scabbers is going berserk, twisting and flailing.
Probably because he knows his fate once I get my hands on him.
"Sacbbers, it's me, you idiot, it's Ron," he hisses, as we hear an axe being sharpened.
"Okay Scabbers-stay put-" he's cut off by the sound of an axe swinging, and birds flying away as it meets its target.
"They did it," Hermione silently sobs. "I don't believe it-"
"Ow!" Ron yelps.
"What is it now-" Harry begins.
"He bit me-Scabbers bit me!" Ron says, beginning to chase after his rat, finally catching it.
"Ron, don't move-" I begin, but Ron cuts me off.
"Harry look out!" he bellows. "It's the grim!"
Thank god OJ's in another location tonight, but this night couldn't get any bloody worse-
I was so wrong, because looking behind me, stands Dad in Padfoot form, growling at Ron-Scabbers. And without hesitation, he darts forwards and latches onto Ron's leg, dragging him further and further back towards the Willow, which as still-It can't sense Dad, which puts it off balance as Ron goes under.
"RON!" Harry shouts, beginning to run toward him with Hermione before I can warn them about the tree, which is beginning to wake up.
"Harry, 'Mione, move!" I shout, running to push them out of the way as a branch swings down, aiming to hit them.
"Quick-" I pant, "-give me a stick-thanks," I smile at Harry as he hands me one. "Wingardium Leviosa." I levitate the stick to hit the knot, stunning it.
"Hurry!" I hiss and run into the tunnel, Harry and Hermione following behind me.
"What in the-" Harry begins, but I clamp a hand over his mouth and put a finger to my lips.
"Where does this lead to?" Hermione whispers.
"I don't think that you'll like that answer, so I'm going to respond with an 'I'm not sure," I respond, panic settling in my bones.
"This isn;t marked on the Map," Harry whispers over to me.
"For a good reason, but the beginning of this tunnel is." I whisper back.
The three of us crawl as fast as we can, desperate to get to where this passage ends.
Dad, what's happening? I ask through the link, but no response. Dad? He must not be answering me, which only makes my panic worse. What if someone from the ministry found him? What if the Dementors found him and not only gave Dad the kiss, but Ron as well?
Finally, we make it to the shack, and the three of us dust off.
"Amara...we're in the Shrieking Shack, aren't we?" Hermione asks, and I nod and go to say something, but I'm stopped by a creak from upstairs. And before I can say anything else, Harry's bounding up the stairs as Hermione follows behind him with me behind both, praying to whoever might be out there that my father and friend will still be alive when I make it to them. I release a breath of relief as I open the door and Dad's in one corner, and Ron-who is clutching onto Scabbers-is in another.
"Harry-it's a trap-the dog-he's an animagus-it's" Ron stutters, but Dad cuts him off once the three of us are standing in the doorway.
"Expelliarmus!" Dad croaks, pointing Ron's wand at Harry and Hermione and catching them as they fly over to them.
"I thought you'd come to help your friends...your father would've done the same for me. Brave of you, not to run for a teacher. I'm grateful...it will make everything much easier-Starshine," he breathes, seeing me as I push my way into the room along with Harry and Hermione, "Why aren't you with the girls? The full moon is-"
"Not important at the moment," I responded.
"Wait-Amara, you-you," Harry starts.
"No, Harry, it's not like that, you have to listen-" I start..
"You-you helped him? You helped him...this whole time-"
"No Harry, I haven't" I hold back a sob, "Listen to me please-my Dad's innocent, please-"
"I trusted you." He whispers as a sob escapes.
"I know," I answered. "I know you did. But if you'd please just listen-"
"Listen to what Amara? More lies? Ron was right, I was right! You're not a hero, you're just another Black!" He bellows as tears again race down my face. Swiftly. He moves to take my wand from my back pocket, and tosses it to Hermione.
"Hermione," I whisper, but it comes out as a sob, "please."
Neither Hermione or Ron look at me, the former pointing my wand at me, "Petrificus Totalus" she says, and I fall to the ground, unable to move.
"No-" Dad starts to walk over, but is stopped by Harry stepping in front of me, and Hermione and Ron standing as best they can in front of him.
"If you want to kill Harry-if you want your daughter, you'll have to get through us." Ron says, wincing as he struggles to put weight on his leg.
"Lie down," Dad says quietly. "Before you damage that leg even more."
"Did you hear me?" Ron asks weakly, clinging to the bedpost he's next to for support. "You'll have to kill all three of us!"
Three. Not four.
"Only one will die here tonight," Dad grinning weakly.
"Why's that?" Harry spits, trying to push past Ron and Hermione. "Didn't care last time, did you? Didn't mind slaughtering all those Muggles to get at Pettigrew...what's the matter, Black, gone soft in Azkaban?"
"Harry," Hermione hisses, "be quiet!"
"HE KILLED MY MUM AND DAD!" Harry roars in response, and finally he pushes past the barrier that Ron and 'Mion have created, lunging at Dad.
Silent tears continue to streak down my face, knowing that I can't help my best friend or my Dad in this match. I'm forced to lay here and watch everything that I love tear itself to shreds, without a way to help it.
Harry gets on top of Dad, who's unable to help himself-because of him not wanting to hurt Harry, and how weak he is on account of how he was treated for twelve years.
"But then again," Harry hisses, "You've been known to leave those you care about for the big picture. After all, you left Amara and Lupin for twelve years for murder-"
"Going to kill me Harry?" Dad whispers as Harry's hands wrap around Dad's neck.
"You killed my parents," Harry responds, his voice shaking.
"I don't deny it-but if you knew the whole story-" Dad says quietly.
"The whole story?!" Harry bellows furiously. "You sold them to Voldemort, that's all we need to know!"
"You've got to listen to me, you'll regret it if you don't...don't you understand..." Dad says as Crookshanks leaps on top of him, and Hermione releases a sob as Harry goes to attack her cat.
Muffled footsteps are echoing up through the floor-someone is moving downstairs.
Pop, stay down there, leave, go to the girls in the woods, don't come up here- I try to use the link, and Dad's head snaps back to me on the floor, his eyes filled with sorrow at my condition.
"WE'RE UP HERE!" Hermione screams. "WE'RE UP HERE-SIRIUS BLACK-QUICK!"
Well this is going to get a lot more interesting, isn't it?
Hello again! Sorry again for the late update-I've lacked the motivation to write. On the bright side, I'm already writing the next chapter, so I'm hoping to finish this book within the next few hours! But before I say anything else-THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 8K! I didn't think that this book would get more than a hundred views, let alone the number we're at right now! Anyways, I hope that everyone had a great 4th of July (if you celebrate it, if not, Happy July!). As always, feel free to comment and vote, and the next chapter will be up here soon!
~Potterhead